Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 417: Nine-curve Panhuan Cave

"Old Sun, we just entered the valley from Yaoyu and walked all the way to Yuzhen to exit. According to the sequence of the human body, the front should be the Seven Apertures and Divine Court on the spine, right? How come it is this dark [Nine-bend Panhuan Cave]?"

"Who told you we are going up? We are going down!"

Sun Sheng looked at Li Bingwu who was looking here and there in the cave, and did not spare his words.

"Uncle Wu, I wonder if you noticed just now that the terrain from the entrance of the [Twenty-Four Section Valley], Yaoyu, to the end of the Yuzhen, is always slightly rising. It can be generally considered as a long slope with a very small inclination angle. The cave we are entering now is a large slope with a steep inclination angle."

Qin Huai stretched out his hand and made a blunt angle to help explain.

"What Qin said is right. I will still use the human body as a reference for you. We just went from the Jade Pillow through the Mouth Acupoint to the Magpie Bridge Throat. When we go down along these twelve floors one by one and enter the valley, we will be not far from the end of our journey [Six Storehouses]."

Sun Sheng tapped the occipital bone behind his head, and his fingers followed his jawline to his throat and trachea, and then stopped at his abdomen.

"【Six Storehouses】? Mr. Sun, you want to say six internal organs, right?"

"It means the same thing. The large intestine, small intestine, stomach, triple burner, gallbladder, and bladder are the organs that absorb energy for humans. And in the Nine-bend Panhuan Cave, there are also six storehouses that gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to create this blessed place. And in there, there live some old friends of mine who I haven't seen for a long time."

"Living in caves? Troglodytes? But we haven't seen any signs of slash-and-burn farming along the way. How do they eat? Do they buy food outside?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

As they were talking, a few people who had just come out of the long and narrow cave [Twelve-story Tower] stopped in front of a rock wall full of holes.

The holes on the rock wall have different diameters. The large ones are large enough for four horses to gallop, and even the smallest ones can accommodate a person walking upright.

Qin Huai looked at the rock wall in front of him that was hundreds of meters high, and took a careful look at it with [A Glimpse]. Soon, with the help of Zero, he found the entrance to the cave that might represent the [Valley Road].

"Master Sun, there is only one [Valley Road]?"

"That's not necessarily true. The branches in the Nine-Turn Panhuan Cave are intricate and interconnected. Sometimes you think you've taken the right path, but the next turn may lead you to a dead end. And sometimes you think you've taken a wrong path, but in fact you've secretly followed the way of nature and can enter the Six Repositories."

Sun Sheng stretched out his fingers and calculated for a while, then walked forward slowly: "To put it bluntly, as long as you feel it with your heart and follow the flow of the wind to avoid the useless [airway], the rest will naturally be the [valleyway]."

Qin Huai nodded thoughtfully, withdrew his gaze from the uneven rock protrusions around him, and led Hongying and a few others to follow.

The dark cave was not damp. Apart from the so-called "airway" that brought a cool breeze from time to time, the overall feeling was very comfortable.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a bright light suddenly appeared in front of us. Following the light out of the cave, the view in front of us suddenly became clear, and we saw a vast underground world.

"The land is flat and spacious, with neat houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees and bamboos. The roads are connected, and the chickens and dogs can hear each other."

The scene before him was almost identical to what Tao Yuanming recorded in Peach Blossom Spring. Qin Huai looked far away and saw only an old man sleeping on a big rock at the entrance of the village. As for younger women and children, he did not see any.

He raised his head and looked upwards in the bright soft light dotted between the rock walls. He could only see a few irregularly shaped protrusions on the rock walls. Apart from that, there were large areas of strange plants emitting light.

[Mingguang Adiantum]: An alpine fern with powerful reproductive and decomposition capabilities. It can emit visible light that is more than a hundred times its size by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"These ferns are the biggest contributors to providing light and oxygen to this paradise. Yes, there is no one in this world who can endure not getting sun exposure all the time."

Just as Qin Huai was pondering in his mind, Xiang Hongying beside him suddenly turned red in the face, like a ripe red apple, and her bones and muscles inexplicably softened, and she was about to fall to the ground.

"Hey, Sister Hongying."

Ao Ling, who had been in charge of covering the team, noticed that something was wrong with Xiang Hongying, so he took two steps forward and held Hongying in his arms.

"Hmm? Oxygen intoxication?"

Qin Huai came back to his senses, took Hongying from Ao Ling and held her up. [A Glimpse] transmitted Xiang Hongying's status information in time.

"The spiritual energy in the Six Storehouses is very rich. If you rashly come in from outside, you will inevitably suffer from exhaustion. Xiao Hongying has just walked through the Twenty-Four Sections Valley and will be able to adapt quickly. You don't need to worry too much."

Sun Sheng waved his hand, pointed to the village in the distance, and said leisurely: "Come on, I'll take you to meet my old friend."
-
Qinling Mountains, Mount Zhongnan, and Reclining Buddha Temple.

The heavy snow fell continuously, and soon covered the thousand-year-old temple filled with Zen rooms and palaces with silver.

Looking around, there is silver frost and white snow everywhere, covering the bare mountains and wilderness, and also hiding the dead trees and rotten leaves; in the ice and snow, only some vigorous old trees with twisted branches are left, showing their strange shapes, and their branches are covered with pyramidal rime.

Early spring in February is the agricultural festival when the dragon raises its head. Even if the monks and nuns do not farm, they will take this opportunity to join in the fun, distribute grain and porridge to the working people, and talk about the Buddha's love for the world and giving alms to all living beings.

Upon hearing the news that the Reclining Buddha Temple was providing porridge relief, many devout believers and nearby villagers along the mountain road got up early, carrying bowls and cans, and started going up the mountain.

Among the pilgrims who were climbing the mountain one after another, there was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties who was following the crowd. She was wearing a veil on her head and climbing the mountain. She was holding two swords in her hands. She was wearing a black satin gown with her sleeves tied tightly with tough calfskin leather and hidden under her cloak. On her feet were a pair of official boots with thousand-layer soles. When she stepped on the snowy steps, only a thin mark was left and almost no sound was made.

Behind her, there were several men, women, old and young, dressed in different styles and breathing heavily. Their steps seemed normal, but their speed was incredibly fast.

Lin Heier looked up and saw that the Daiding Mountain where the Reclining Buddha Temple was located looked like a sleeping Buddha lying on its side with its arms spread out. The top of the mountain was steep and rugged, with the north lower and the south higher. Climbing up step by step was like worshiping Buddha.

The incense here is very popular, surpassing all the temples in Zhongnan. Even though the world is difficult and harsh now, there are still endless pilgrims and believers coming here.

When he reached the front of the temple, Lin Heier slowed down his pace, glanced at the White Lotus elders behind him imperceptibly, nodded slightly, and headed straight for the main hall without stopping.

White Lotus Relic.

When Feng Zhao was assigned a mission by the sect to search for the location of the treasure in Qinling Mountains in his early years, he met a master of the Three Theories School who was proficient in the art of divination at the Reclining Buddha Temple by chance. Perhaps it was their chance, and not long after, the two of them found the lost White Lotus treasure in the Twenty-Four Sections Valley. This time, Lin Heier came to Qinling Mountains to retrieve the treasure, and Feng Zhao had to protect Zhong Shanqiao so that he could not escape, so he asked her to go to the Reclining Buddha Temple to find the master of the Three Theories School, Shi Hui, and ask him to help.

The temple was covered in snow. From time to time, there were pilgrims coming into the temple to worship Buddha. There were also a few young monks sweeping the snow along the way, blowing warm air into their palms from time to time. They looked naive, probably about thirteen or fourteen years old. Looking at the beautiful Lin Heier, his cheeks blushed, he bowed and recited in a low voice, chanting something like "form is emptiness, emptiness is form."

There are quite a few temples here, at least twenty or so, built one after another. However, all the monks Lin Heier saw along the way were ordinary people, without any Yuan Qi in their bodies.

Lin Heier patiently entered the hall step by step, trying her best to avoid any omissions. After about a cup of tea, the only part of the Reclining Buddha Temple that she had not yet entered to investigate was the Main Hall.

The main hall of the Reclining Buddha Temple is backed by a cliff. There is a reclining Buddha carved in the wall, and the lotus platform below extends into the hall, which looks very unusual.

When Lin Heier entered the hall, he saw an old monk beating a wooden fish in the corner of the hall. In front of him was a piece of yellow silk, on which were placed three Qianlong Tong Bao coins of excellent quality.

The old monk leaned against the side of the statue's lotus pedestal, with clusters of inch-long Buddha lamps and candles swaying and flickering above his head, trembling continuously, as if three copper coins were coated with a golden cassock. Seeing the old monk closing his eyes and lowering his neck, as if he was chanting something in a low voice, Lin Heier glanced at the statue with thousands of carvings all over it, clasped his fists and asked, "Master, are you Master Shi Huishi?"

The sound of the wooden fish stopped.

The old monk opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows, his eyes as calm as a deep well, as if he had seen through the mundane world.

"I am an old monk without a name. If the donor is here for the white lotus behind the temple, then I am Shi Hui."

"Thank you, Master."

Seeing that the old monk knew his purpose without him saying anything, Lin Heier realized that he had found the real boss and immediately asked him to come.

"It's okay. Wanming and I are close friends regardless of age difference. It's just a trivial matter. I won't bother you."

Shi Hui waved his sleeves, and the yellow silk and copper coins disappeared in an instant. No one knew where the old monk had kept them.

What was even more surprising was that the wind created by the waving of his sleeves did not affect the lights behind him, as if he had only lightly brushed off the thin dust on his monk's robe.

"However, although the White Lotus treasure is very valuable, it does not require all of you to come out. If all the masters come to Qinling, what will happen to the great event of Wanming?"

Shi Hui's words were shocking, and immediately made Lin Heier frown.

"Hmm? Master, what do you mean by that? As far as I know, only four of the four great Dharma Kings and seven elders of the sect came to obtain the treasure this time. It can't be said that they came out in full force."

"Four, not ten?"

Shi Hui stood up, spoke calmly, with calm eyes, and raised his hand to tell another divination.

"My predictions are correct, lady donor. You are being targeted."

Shi Hui said to himself, "At this moment, there are six great masters squatting outside the temple, all of them concealing their own Qi with extremely clever means. If it weren't for the fact that my Six Yao Money Lesson has given me a glimpse of the principles of heaven, I would have been deceived by this group of people."

"Six? Grandmasters? Oh no, the Qing dog is biting us!"

Lin He'er realized what was happening later and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately wanted to leave the hall and ask the old man Bai Lian in the courtyard to retreat quickly.

"Female donor, please walk slowly and carefully. If those six people sense something is wrong and come to kill us, this Buddhist temple will surely be turned into a battlefield. At that time, the nearby villagers and the monks here will also be implicated."

"Master, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Lin Heier looked at the local tyrant Shi Hui who held the wisdom in his hand, and his five fingers involuntarily clenched the two swords.

Shi Hui's eyes narrowed slightly, and he raised his hand and pointed at the cliff carvings behind the temple: "Please follow me down the mountain from the backyard. It is best to leave this place before they react."

After saying this, Shi Hui walked around to the side of the Buddha's feet on the lotus platform, stretched out his hand and turned an inconspicuous blue stone. He immediately saw that the cliff stone slowly caved inward, and a stone door slid open, revealing a narrow and cramped secret passage, as dark as an abyss, and exuding bursts of coldness.

"If we leave, what will happen to the monks in the temple?"

"It's okay. Their target is only you. Once their Qi can't sense you, they will chase you. Instead, they won't get too entangled with the monks."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Hui slipped into the secret passage.

Seeing Shi Hui leading the way, Lin He'er exchanged a glance with the other White Lotus elders, then shrank their bodies and leaped into the secret passage. The slid open stone door slowly closed tightly with the rotation of the mechanism inside.

It's nearly noon.

Shi Hui led Bai Lian and the other three down the mountain quietly. Before they could follow the forest path westward, they saw six figures slowly emerging from the side of an ancient strange tree with twisted branches.

The first one was wearing a green shirt, with a long, shiny braid like a black python around his neck, and a big knife in his hand. He looked like a ferocious tiger as he stepped forward, and his drooping eyes slowly narrowed, revealing his murderous intent.

"What a thief bald man who can predict numbers and tell fortunes! If it weren't for Taoist Yuandu's meticulousness, we would have almost fallen for your bewitching trick!"

Liu Qing glanced at Lin Heier, who looked as if he was facing a formidable enemy, drew his sword and stopped talking nonsense.

"Since you are the person Bai Lian is looking for, these useless people can go to hell!"

In an instant, the knife flashed and slashed towards Lin Heier, who had been possessed by Nezha.

At this moment, a flesh palm suddenly rose from under the monk's robe, blocking the two of them and crushing the knife light that could cut through iron like mud.

"Amitabha, fellow donors, we are outnumbered, please leave quickly."

"What are you mumbling about, old bald donkey?"

There was a loud bang, and suddenly a dead tree was seen flipping in the air and smashing towards the aging Shi Hui.

Perhaps it was because the Qi force it brought was too overbearing. The dead tree was twisted and deformed as soon as it left the ground, and exploded into pieces, shooting towards them like a rain of pear blossoms.

"Master, catch it!"

Lin Heier, with his jade-faced and golden-eyed face, had the Wind-Fire Wheel spinning under his feet, and the Hun Tian Ling wrapped around the waists of the three White Lotus elders, and he actually flew up in the blink of an eye!

"Qu Zhi! Stop it!"

Before he finished speaking, Quzhi, who was dressed in a black cloak and a red shirt, stretched out his hands. His ten fingers flashed like flowers scattering from heaven. Hundreds of sharp needles condensed from concentrated fire energy splashed out, instantly crossing the sky and shooting towards Lin Heier, whose body was shining with colorful light.

"Hum!"

Shi Hui shouted loudly in a deep voice, his voice like a lion's roar, and a large amount of Yuan Qi gathered into an indestructible Vajra, which crushed all the Qi needles and wooden blocks.

He was blocked in all directions, his narrow eyes narrowed into slits, his body was as fast as a ghost, and in a flash he caught up with Lin Heier as if moving on the ground, and his voice as cold as a poisonous snake sounded in everyone's ears.

"Old bald donkey, I want to see how you, one big and four small, can stop us, the six sticky rod users!"

(End of this chapter)